PHANEROGAMS — PBOFESSOB BAYLEY BALFOUR. 269 



and it branches more irregularly. The floral structure is alike in both, but the 

 fruit on specimens of the latter sent home by Schweinfurth is smaller, as is also 

 the seed, and the style is shorter. I am not certain that it is possible to regard 

 it as a distinct species, but it may be considered a variety, as, — 



var. montana, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xiii. (1883). 

 Irregulariter ramosa ramis ultimis brevibus validis articulis brevibus ; capsulis £ poll, longis \ 

 poll, latis, pedicello^ poll, longo tenui, stylo brevi -^ poll, longo ; seminibus^ P°U- longis. 



Socotra. On the hills. B.C.S. n. 347. Schweinf. n. 643. 

 Distrib. Endemic. 



10. E. (Diacanthium) spiralis, Balf. fil. in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. xiii. (1883). 



Fruticosa carnosa candelabriformis a basi pauciramosa 1-2-pedalis, caule ramisque acute 5-7- 

 augulatis sulcatis, angulis compressis subalatis spiraliter tortis rarius rectis lobatis lobis 

 rotundatis parvis arete positis, aculeis stipularibus binis brevibus \- \ poll, longis ab 

 pulvino basali glauco divaricatis demum frequenter demissis, podariis distinctis. 



Socotra. On the plains, not infrequent. B.C.S. n. 729. 



Distrib. Endemic. 



This plant appears to be a distinct species, but we have not material 

 sufficient for a complete description. Several plants are now growing in this 

 country, and ere long it may flower and enable us to determine its true character 

 more accurately. One of its most distinctive features is the spiral twist on its 

 stem and branches. From the Canary Islands and the dry plains of south 

 and north Africa, several species with which our plant has some affinity are 

 recorded. 



2. BUXUS. 



Buxus, Linn, Gen. u. 1053 ; Bentb. et Hook. Gen. PI. iii. 267. 



A small genus, several species of which are inhabitants of temperate and 

 mountain regions in the old world, one occurs in Madagascar, and one (the 

 Socotran plant) is found in Somali Land. Other species are west Indian. 



B. Hildebrandtii, Baill. Adans. xi. 268. 



Nom. Vern. Mithan (B.C.S.). Kelle (Schweinf). Metayne or Malarah 

 (Wellst.). 



Socotra. Abundant. B.C.S. n. 637. Schweinf. n. 415. Hunter. 



Distrib. Somali Land. 



This small tree is very abundant on the island, and the foliage exhibits a con- 

 siderable range of variation. Sometimes the leaves are nearly orbicular, in other 

 instances quite narrowly oblanceolate. The size of the fruit, too, varies much. 



Young twigs of this species are used by the inhabitants for tooth sticks. 



The wood is hard and compact. Schweinfurth brought home a quantity of 

 it to test its value economically, but I have not learned the result of the trial 



